Chap. VII. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 125 



and from fuch a motive the moft villainous adions are often per- 

 formed. But a right fenfe of the Beautiful is the foundation of vir- 

 tue, and of every good adion ; For, I have learned from antient philo- 

 fophy, and particularly from Ariftotle, that every virtuous adion is 

 performed, ^ivzKcc row x.a'kov^ and fo far as it is virtuous, can proceed 

 from no other motive; and, as I have faid, he has defined virtue to bcT 

 ^o^(jt.ri 'Tf^oq -TO xaXov f/^srcx, Aoyov] that is, a certain 'inJii7iEi^ as it may be 

 called, beloiighig to the intellectual nature^ which prompts it to purfue 

 ivhat is Beautiful^ but which ^ at the fame time^ is governed by reafon^ as 

 every thing muft be, proceeding from intelled*. And here, 1 think, 

 it may not be improper to obferve the goodnefs of God in giving us 

 that natural propenfity to the Beautiful^ that is, to virtue;- which, as I 

 have obferved, is fo univerfal among men, that it may be reckoned ef- 

 fential to human nature f . The fenfe of the Beautiful is likewife the 

 fource of that governing principle among men, and particularly in 

 the political fyftem, the happinefs of which muft depend upon that 

 principle being well direded. The principle I mean is Honour^ that 

 is the love of praife ; for no man defircs or expedls to be praifed 

 except for fomething that is beautiful in his fentiments or adliors 

 or which he thinks to be fuch. This principle makes men defpife 



life, 



* The paiTage in Anftotle is to be found in the Magna Moralia, lib. i. cap. 3 c. p. 

 171. EJ. Du Val. where he fpcalcs of u natur;il^ or what may be called an inflincftive 

 *«*it6}) wpo,- TO KccXavy but which does not make virtue properly fo called, even though the 

 a<Stion fliould be in itfclf a good aQion, and Karcc toi/ 0^^601 xoyov : But the acflion to be 

 truly virtuous, muft proceed from a ^cpun T^a; to KxXiv uira ^lo'/ov, according to his de- 

 f.nition of virtue ; that is to fay, the author of fuch an action muft perform it, f^nx, 

 i.cyov, that is, I'j'itb rcafon, accompanying his fenfe of the Beautiful. Nor is it fufllcient 

 that the atflion is really in hleU according to reafon, that is, r.ccTx /oyov : But the reafon 

 muft accompany the adion ; that is, the actor muft perceive the reafon for doing the 

 thing. And what I have juft now laid, of the fenfe of the ro kkX^v often mifguiding 

 us, and prompting us to do things that are very improper, fliows us how juft the 

 oblVrvation of Ariftotle is, that this *«j«tii, or natural impulfe towards the Beautiful, 

 lliould be accompanied with reafon. 



t See what I have faid upon this fubjea in Preface to vol. 3. of JMetapbyfics, alfo in 

 Tol. 2. Book 2. Chap. 5. 6. & 7. 



